Intro from the Author
Hello everyone. This is the final chapter of the three-part series, "A Tangled Web." I highly recommend you read Chapters 1 and 2 first as they provide the backstory for the characters and develop the plot.
I hope that you enjoy it. I appreciate votes and comments—even the negative ones if they include an explanation.
Legal Caveat - This is a work of fiction. The characters, plots, narratives, etc., have all been created from my imagination and are in no way intended to represent real people or situations. All characters are 18 or older.
******
"You're a good man, Dan Caddel. It replenishes my soul to support someone like you. Trust me, my helping you has done more for me than you. I need to feel like my life hasn't been wasted."
"Maggie, it's time for me to go home and confront Cindy...if only to gather my clothes. We have a busy couple of days ahead of us."
"Would you like me to go with you?"
"Thanks, Maggie. But I need to do this one on my own. Seeing our relationship will only make it harder to get Cindy to give me the answers I need."
"I understand, Dan. It's almost 11 AM, so I think I'll head home. You can call and update me this afternoon on how you're doing and what the police tell you."
Chapter 3
******
Earlier that morning, Jack summoned Bruce to his office.
"Hi, son. I want to get your advice on something important. I've been talking with some of our current and former clients, and it's clear that MW Designs is continuing to make inroads into our core business market. But I've also learned there's one guy that everyone credits for their success. Some architect named "Dan Cowbell' or something."
Bruce wanted to laugh at the misstated name, but he was wary of revealing he knew it.
"I was thinking of trying to hire him away from them. Eric is a cheapskate, so I'm sure he is not paying him nearly what he's worth. But I didn't know whether you knew anything more about him. I'd like to either hire him away from them, or find some way to knock him off his game."
"Do you have any thoughts?"
Bruce sat quietly for a moment as he collected his thoughts. He had never knowingly given his father bad advice and was equally vested in Foundstone's success. But Bruce knew he did not want Dan working at Foundstone, so he was glad but surprised that Jack was open to targeting Dan.
"Yes, I'm familiar with him, and you shouldn't be looking to hire him. I'm already way ahead of you on this."
"Oh, how so?" Jack feigned surprise.
"Let's just say I understand he's been having a series of personal problems recently that will soon affect his work."
"Well, that's excellent news! We can't let one man take away all that we've built. Is there anything we can do to ensure he doesn't recover enough to be a threat still?"
Bruce briefly wondered who this strange man sitting in front of him was. Jack's ethics were usually unimpeachable, but Bruce supposed a threat to a man's life's work would push anyone to the edge.
"Dad, I know about his personal problems because I've orchestrated them. Some of what has happened has already made his life harder, but soon he'll know the rest. I'm confident I will have taken him out of the game."
"That's very proactive of you, Bruce! Why didn't you tell me sooner? Perhaps I could have helped."
"Well, I didn't know if you'd be on board with intentionally messing with someone's life. But I also figured I was giving you plausible deniability should anything go wrong."
"Oh, I see. Brilliant. But I'm sorry you didn't think I'd be on board with going after the guy. I indeed look for ways to help everyone I can, inside and outside our company. But this Dan guy is a sworn enemy actively attacking our employees' livelihoods and us, so I can't stand idly by and do nothing. He must be dealt with swiftly and firmly."
"I take it that when he discovers these personal matters, he'll be of no use to us as an employee here?" Jack probed.
"Yes. And if he survives all this, Foundstone will be the last place he'll want to work."
"Bruce, you're not going to physically harm him in a way that can be traced back to us, are you?"
"No, not directly, at least. I can't control whether he offs himself. But he will soon know I'm the cause of his problems."
"Ok, Bruce. Please, sit down. I think it's time you brought me up to speed on everything you've done so that I can help us deal with whatever fallout is ahead."
So Bruce did just that. Bruce watched Jack's face during each revelation, cautious about revealing the cruelest parts. He saw a look of surprise on his father's face for each act of revenge, but he received no criticism. Instead, Jack asked many follow-up questions, which his son mistook as signs of excitement and awe. The notion that his bold actions had made his father proud encouraged him to reveal his darkest plans and the video recordings.
He realized his father was right. Jack would be instrumental in Foundstone's navigating any fallout from Bruce's actions.
******
After Maggie left his hotel room, Dan turned on his cell phone and stared at voicemails that had been left. Sixteen were from Cindy. He listened to only a few, heartbroken and angry as he heard her increasing desperation while trying to reach him...pleading with him to return home. He had no desire to do anything she wanted, yet he knew it was time to go home— if only to get the protein powder as evidence.
For a moment, he thought about calling Cindy and asking to meet elsewhere, using the time instead to take what he needed from the house. He had seen firsthand how her affair had evolved and thought there was little a conversation with her would add. He even knew the why—his absence left her vulnerable to the flattery and embrace of a predator. He felt Bruce, Cindy, and he all bore some responsibility in the affair—albeit not equally.
He knew Cindy was unaware of some of Bruce's darker plans, as evidenced by his need to grind up pills in her coffee. But he didn't know whether she was aware of Bruce's competition with Dan's business interests, the prescriptions he'd fed Dan, or the videos. If not, she needed to know about them and the perilous situation they were in. God, he hoped she didn't know.
Dan dialed Cindy's number. While her phone rang, he practiced steadying his voice. But it was only a few seconds before she answered.
"Dan! Are you okay, honey? Where have you been?! I've got everyone looking for you!"
Dan hoped everyone didn't include Bruce. "I'm fine, Cindy. I've thought a lot about what happened and how I'm feeling. We need to talk. Can I come by the house now?"
"Of course, Dan! It's your house too! But, wait...should I pick you up? Maybe you shouldn't drive if you've been drinking."
"No, Cindy. I'm completely sober. I'll see you in a half hour." He then hung up.
On the drive home, Dan realized he hadn't given her much time to call off the search hounds, or do whatever women do to prepare for a homecoming. It was all unnecessary anyway, he figured. It was hard to see how their relationship could survive.
Arriving home, Dan was practically mauled by Cindy at the front door as he found himself wrapped in a big hug for the second time that day. She had dressed in one of the skimpier casual outfits she knew he found sexy, and had spent time applying makeup—which she rarely did. With her natural beauty and youthful age, makeup was almost always unnecessary.
She whispered in his ear so neighbors couldn't hear, "Dan, come upstairs with me, honey. Let me help you feel better. Then we'll talk."
Dan was tempted, and might have fucked her one last time. Well, in truth, he had only ever made love to her before. But fucking her wasn't possible right now. It was a miracle that he'd been able to have sex with Maggie earlier, but the combined effects of the hormonal changes had once again left him limp."
"I'm sorry, Cindy. But we need to talk now."
Cindy had rarely seen Dan refuse her advances, and she grew even more concerned. He must really be worried about our financial future and the impact on our plans for a family. She planned to encourage him to apologize and beg for his job back. She knew she had been selfish, putting too much pressure on him and leading him to act impulsively. She would promise to stop, and even call Eric, if it would help.
"Okay, honey. Let's sit at the kitchen table," she said.
As they sat down, Dan realized he didn't have a plan to start the conversation and sat silent for a moment. Cindy reached across the table to hold his hands, and he did not stop her. Dan guessed there were millions of ways to start, but his emotions were interfering with his logic. So he chose the first one that popped into his head.
"Cindy, I know about Bruce...your affair...all of it." Tears began to form in the corner of his eyes before moistening his cheeks.
"Oh, Dan! No! What did Bruce tell you?!" Cindy panicked as she saw her world collapsing. Over the past few months, she had been monitoring Dan closely for signs he might have discovered her arrangement with Bruce, but she hadn't seen anything suspicious. She now thought Bruce must have contacted Dan yesterday to get back at her for changing their arrangement. She was not prepared for this conversation.
"Cindy, I'm only going to say this once. I'm 90% sure our marriage is over. But if you lie to me or withhold even one thing in this conversation, I will be 100% sure. Do you understand?"
The full weight of the consequences of her actions hit Cindy, and she began sobbing. Finally, she nodded for Dan to proceed.
I'm going to ask you a number of questions, and for now, I only want "yes," "no," or "I don't know" responses—no other words. You'll have time to explain or expand upon the answer later. Do you understand?
Cindy nodded.
"Cindy, do you know how Bruce knows me?"
Cindy suddenly realized how hard it would be to give a truthful answer with the limitations of the answer choices. Bruce told her they had once worked on a project together, but nothing beyond that. She was more afraid of saying "no" and having Dan not believe her, so she answered, "Yes." She hoped he'd ask follow-up questions.
"Do you know that he competed for projects against me and was bitter he lost?"
"No!" Cindy exclaimed. She thought, "Oh God, was he an enemy of Dan's all along?"
"Have you and Bruce had sex?"
Cindy paused, wondering whether he might be bluffing about how much he knew. But, on the other hand, she had rarely seen him bluff, so she didn't want to risk lying.
"Yes," Cindy said, putting her head down and withdrawing her hands from his.
"Did you start seeing him more than a week ago?"
"Yes"
"More than a month ago?"
"Yes"
"More than a year ago?"
"Yes"
"More than two years ago?"
"No"
"Have you had an affair with anyone else since we married?"
"No"
"Did you enjoy sex with Bruce more than me?"
"Ugh. The sex was different, but Bruce and Dan were both good," Cindy thought. She knew he could never be sure of her answer, so she gave the only one that might preserve their marriage.
